1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food processing apparatus, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for separating components having different viscosities and/or sizes from a composition. The composition is preferably a food product or a food product and food product container.
2. Description of Related Art
A separating apparatus is generally used in the food industry, e.g., to chop meat and remove skins and sinews, to produce skin and bone free fish stuffing from fish fillets remnants or fish bone remnants, to produce fruit and vegetables juices, to recycle contents of packages, and the like.
German patent number 43 28 627 and corresponding U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,689 disclose an apparatus for separating components having different viscosities and/or sizes from a composition. The disclosed apparatus comprises a hollow, rotatable drum with a perforated outer surface, and an endless compression belt engaging a portion of the outer surface. The compression belt forms with the outer surface a wedge-shaped input zone, and rotates synchronously with the outer surface. The apparatus further comprises adjustable compression means to press the compression belt against the drum.
During operation of such an apparatus, goods to be processed are fed to the input zone where they are pulled in between the outer surface of the hollow drum and the compression belt, whereby the more viscous components flow through the perforations of the hollow drum into the interior under the influence of the compression, and the less viscous components remain at the periphery of the hollow drum, pass between the drum and the compression belt and are ejected from the belt beyond the drum, preferably by scraping with a scraping device.
German patent number 2 159 465 discloses a straining machine having in the area where the compression belt engages the hollow drum supporting means which support the compression belt from below to press against the belt to increase its engagement with the drum.
During processing of bulky goods, e.g., during automatic opening of food packages made of plastic or cellulose, the goods to be processed often cannot be pulled in because of their bulkiness. As experienced in practice, in most cases this effect cannot be reliably avoided by pre-chopping the goods to be processed. A pre-chopping apparatus is known from German utility model number 89 11 890.1. This reference discloses an unit which is positioned above the input zone and comprises rotating knives to chop the goods.
Generally, said effect cannot be overcome by using stuffing devices, e.g., known from European Patent number 375 877 or Canadian Patent number 965 297, which, inter alia, disclose a reciprocating ram element that periodically extends into the input zone.
In view of the deficiencies associated with processing goods in the prior art, there exists a need to improve the processing capabilities of separating apparatuses.